Delivering Global Macro Investment Insights

DeSaque Macro Research

DeSaque Macro Research Limited was formed by Said DeSaque in April 2012 with the view to delivering global macro investment insights aimed at providing new ideas to clients.

Said DeSaque has over 26 years of experience working as a professional economist in financial services. Prior to establishing DeSaque Macro Research, Said held positions as Senior Economist at Robert W Baird and William Blair. He began his career as a graduate at PaineWebber in 1986, where he eventually became Head of the London Economics Department.

Said takes a very keen interest in international relations, along with their implications for economic development. His research interests include the economic transformation of China and its implications for global capital markets, particularly in the United States. He is a member of Chatham House in London.

The US economy and capital markets have historically been Said’s main focus of attention. He frequently presents his views to institutional investors in diverse geographic locations. In recent years, Said has also been carefully monitoring economic developments in Asia, particularly China and Japan.

Global Economist, DeSaque Macro Research

Said Desaque

Global Economist

Macroeconomics

The mainstream financial media mistakenly uses the term of animal spirits to encapsulate all forms of capital spending. While the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily crushed animal spirits, projects receiving prior approval simply had their start dates delayed. Non-commodity capital spending has remained resilient during the pandemic and will register robust gains in 2021.
China's rise as an economic power means that Asia Pacific corporates are the main contributors to global capital spending, while Europe and North America's share has declined significantly. Improved commodity prices means that Latin America should register strong capital spending in 2021, while Europe should make its significant improvement since 2006.
Structural factors forcing companies to invest in digital technology and environmentally-friendly production techniques will persist and help to underpin capital spending in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher capital spending in the semiconductor sector will alleviate product shortages across various end users, but there are fears that higher investment will come on stream after demand rolls over producing another supply glut similar to 2018.
The pandemic has created great hype about the need for companies to invest in intangible assets, thereby further casting doubt on the relevance of the Q-ratio as a measure of equity valuation. US data indicates that equipment and structures still dominate aggregate capital spending and even technology companies need to undertake sizeable investment in tangible assets to conduct business.
Cyclical forces, notably in the US, will also determine the outlook for capital spending, particularly if there are risks of policy mistakes to counter higher inflation. High corporate cash levels have traditionally been supportive for capital spending, but difficulty in finding worthwhile long-term projects since the financial crisis has raised the ante on companies to deploy cash in merger &amp; acquisitions, as well as share buybacks.

The mainstream financial media mistakenly uses the term of animal spirits to encapsulate all forms of capital spending. While the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily crushed animal spirits, projects receiving prior approval simply had their start dates delayed. Non-commodity capital spending has remained resilient during the pandemic and will register robust gains in 2021.
China's rise as an economic power means that Asia Pacific corporates are the main contributors to global capital spending, while Europe and North America's share has declined significantly. Improved commodity prices means that Latin America should register strong capital spending in 2021, while Europe should make its significant improvement since 2006.
Structural factors forcing companies to invest in digital technology and environmentally-friendly production techniques will persist and help to underpin capital spending in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher capital spending in the semiconductor sector will alleviate product shortages across various end users, but there are fears that higher investment will come on stream after demand rolls over producing another supply glut similar to 2018.
The pandemic has created great hype about the need for companies to invest in intangible assets, thereby further casting doubt on the relevance of the Q-ratio as a measure of equity valuation. US data indicates that equipment and structures still dominate aggregate capital spending and even technology companies need to undertake sizeable investment in tangible assets to conduct business.
Cyclical forces, notably in the US, will also determine the outlook for capital spending, particularly if there are risks of policy mistakes to counter higher inflation. High corporate cash levels have traditionally been supportive for capital spending, but difficulty in finding worthwhile long-term projects since the financial crisis has raised the ante on companies to deploy cash in merger &amp; acquisitions, as well as share buybacks.

Global Capital Spending: Recovering After Resilience During Pandemic, but Nuances Persist